SAN DIEGO – A police officer shot and killed a knife-wielding man in the Gaslamp Quarter Monday afternoon, authorities said.

Minutes before the shooting, police said the man stole a large steak knife from an outdoor table at Greystone The Steakhouse and later tried to rob a second restaurant before two officers confronted him about 4:30 p.m.

San Diego police Capt. Jim Collins said the man raised the knife above his head and swore at the two police officers before charging at them. One of the officers – a seven-year veteran – shot him an undisclosed number of times.

“When an officer's life is threatened, deadly force is obviously authorized,” Collins said.

Police blocked off Fourth Avenue from Broadway south to F Street, while E Street was roped off from the entrance to Horton Plaza east to Fifth Avenue as part of the investigation. The man's body was lying in the middle of Fourth Avenue covered by a yellow tarp for several hours after the shooting.

The incident began about 4:20 p.m. when the man grabbed a knife from a table at Greystone, located near Fifth Avenue and G Street.

Nicole Tedeschi, an employee at the nearby Chianti Restaurant, said she saw a man standing on the sidewalk holding a knife in his right hand as he argued with Greystone's manager, who was near the restaurant's entrance. The man eventually walked away south on Fifth Avenue.

“He held this knife from the bottom with the blade pointing up,” said Tedeschi, who could not hear what they were arguing about.

Police said he threatened employees at Greystone when they tried to retrieve the knife, saying “What are you going to do about it?”

The man eventually headed north on Fourth Avenue where he attempted to rob Bandar Restaurant, located between E and F streets, police said. He threatened an employee with the knife and left heading north on Fourth Avenue after the employee resisted, police said.

Two officers in a patrol car were driving southbound on Fourth Avenue to investigate the robbery at Greystone when they saw the man and confronted him at the intersection with E Street.

Collins said the man put down the backpack he was wearing, brandished the knife and advanced toward the officers.

“The officers retreated and told the suspect to drop the knife or he would be shot,” the captain said. “The suspect said several expletives to the officers and started to charge them with the knife raised over his head.”